If you’re working hard on a diet to help build the lean, ripped body of your dreams, Shrove Tuesday is a potential banana skin. The good news: it’s never been easier to cook pancakes that will make your muscles pop

Pancake Day remains a date to be feared by all who regard their body as a temple. All it takes is a small stack of pancakes smothered in honey, maple syrup, chocolate chips and cream, and you can find yourself crashing off the no/low-sugar wagon and straight into a sweet-toothed binge.

Fear the day no more, however – with just a handful of healthy ingredients, in minutes you can make pancakes that are every bit as delicious as those sugar-filled monstrosities and still incorporate them into a protein and nutrient-rich diet.

Banana and Chocolate Protein Pancakes

What you need:

4 eggs

2 chopped bananas

½ cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (not drinking chocolate!)

1 scoop chocolate protein powder (¼ cup)

How to make them: Add all the ingredients to a blender and mix until all the oats are broken down and the batter is smooth. Put a frying pan on the stove at medium heat; use either non-stick cooking spray, margarine or butter to thinly coat the pan, depending on your preference. Slowly pour in enough batter to make the pancake of your chosen size, and cook for between one or two minutes, using a spatula to lift one side and check its progress. When that side is pleasingly golden, flip it over with the spatula and cook the other. Place on an oven tray and put in the bottom of oven on a low heat to keep warm while you cook the remaining batter.

Banana and Peanut Butter Protein Pancakes

What you need:

2 eggs

1 chopped banana

3 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

½ cup rolled oats

½ teaspoon baking powder

How to make them: Follow the same method as the Banana and Chocolate Protein Pancakes. For both types of pancake, serve with chopped nuts, desiccated coconut and fresh fruit of your choice. Try to keep the honey and maple syrup to a minimum, as both can really bump up your sugar intake.

Vanilla and Blueberry Cake Protein Pancakes

What you need:

Pancakes

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 tablespoon cashew butter

2 egg whites

⅓ cup oat flour

¼ cup milk

¼ cup blueberries

Vanilla glaze

¼ scoop vanilla protein powder

2 tablespoons milk

How to make them: For the pancakes, follow the same method as above. For the glaze, stir the protein powder and milk together until smooth. Spoon it over your warm pancakes, and top with any blueberries that are left over.

Powerhouse Protein Pancakes

What you need:

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

½ cup fat-free cottage cheese

½ cup oatmeal

1 cup egg whites

1 banana

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

How to make them: Follow the same method as the Banana and Chocolate Protein Pancakes. Again, serve with chopped nuts, desiccated coconut and fresh fruit of your choice and keep any sugary accompaniments to the bare minimum. Enjoy!